Lost or Stolen Virginia Driver’s License: How to Get a Replacement

Last verified: 17 August 2026

Quick answer

A lost, stolen or damaged Virginia driver’s license goes through the same DMV transaction. DMV’s transaction page puts it plainly: “Use this transaction to replace your driver’s license if it has been stolen, damaged or lost.” A stolen license adds a step before that, below.

DMV’s replacement page describes two routes — online and in person. For both, DMV states “your new card will be mailed to you”, so there is nothing to collect at a counter.

DMV publishes a $20 fee for a replacement driver’s license, and $2 for a replacement learner’s permit.

You are not left without proof while you wait. DMV’s instruction for the online route is direct: “Print your online receipt and carry it with you until you receive your new driver’s license.”

Give it time before you chase it. DMV asks you to “allow at least 15 DAYS to receive your license before contacting DMV.”

Route	What DMV states
Online	Open unless one of DMV’s ineligibility conditions applies to you. Your address on file must be correct, you have the option to ship to a different address, and DMV tells you to print the receipt and carry it until the new license arrives.
In person	A completed Driver’s License and Identification Card Application, one proof of identity document, a new photo taken at the counter, and the fee.
Either way	The new card is mailed to you. DMV asks you to allow at least 15 days before contacting it about a license that has not arrived.
If it was stolen	DMV’s identity-theft guidance is to file a police report with your local law enforcement agency first, then report it to DMV. That is separate from replacing the card.

If it was stolen, start with a police report

A lost license is an inconvenience. A stolen one is a document with your name, address and date of birth in someone else’s hands.

DMV’s own instruction for a credential caught up in identity theft is a sequence, not a suggestion:

“contact your local law enforcement agency and file a police report. Then contact DMV to report this information.”

DMV also says what it will do: “If the theft of your identity involves your driver’s license or ID card, DMV will help in any way we can.”

One reassurance worth having: DMV states it “no longer issues driver’s licenses and ID cards that display Social Security numbers (SSN).” Whoever has your card does not have your SSN from it.

Replacing the card and reporting the theft are separate actions. Doing one does not do the other.

Replacing it online

Where this route is open to you, it settles the whole thing without a trip to a customer service center — one of the transactions covered in our guide to Virginia DMV online services.

Two things DMV flags before you start:

• “Your address on file with DMV must be correct” — the card is mailed, so this is the step that decides whether it arrives.
• “You will have the option to ship your replacement license to an address other than your DMV address.” Useful if you are away from home, and not something most people know is offered.

Then print the receipt. DMV does not describe it as a temporary license, and neither do we — but its instruction is explicit: “Print your online receipt and carry it with you until you receive your new driver’s license.”

The conditions that close the online route

DMV publishes a list of situations where it “[is] unable to replace your driver’s license online.” The conditions DMV lists include:

• You hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL)
• Your name needs to be changed or corrected on your driver’s license
• Your driver’s license has expired
• Your license has been suspended or revoked
• You owe money to DMV for a prior transaction
• You are under the age of 18
• You have a profile picture on your driver’s license
• You hold a learner’s permit
• You hold a Virginia ID card
• You have surrendered your license to another state
• You do not have a Virginia address
• Your driver’s license image needs to be retaken
• Your customer number on file needs verification
• You are required to present proof of legal presence
• You have already requested a driver’s license replacement online today
• You are under medical review
• You are age 80 or older, where DMV’s vision screening requirements apply

Check DMV’s current page rather than this summary before you rely on it — these lists change, and DMV’s is the one that governs.

Three deserve a second look:

• An expired license closes the online replacement route. At that point renewal is the transaction that applies rather than replacement — confirm which one fits your dates with DMV.
• A learner’s permit is not covered by the license transaction. Permits are replaced too, at $2, but not through this route.
• “You have already requested a driver’s license replacement online today” is on the list. A second attempt on the same day is itself a disqualifier.

Replacing it in person

If any condition above applies to you — or you would simply rather do it at a counter — DMV lists what an in-person replacement takes:

• A completed Driver’s License and Identification Card Application
• One proof of identity document (more documents if you are moving to a REAL ID at the same time)
• A new photo, taken there
• The replacement fee

Note the photo. DMV lists having a new one taken as part of the in-person replacement — your old picture is not simply reprinted.

Planning the visit is its own small problem — our guide to the Virginia DMV appointment system covers booking versus walking in.

What a replacement Virginia driver’s license costs

Credential	DMV’s published fee
Replacement driver’s license	$20
Replacement learner’s permit	$2
Replacement ID card	$10
Upgrading to REAL ID at the same time	$10 one-time, on top

Check DMV’s current fee schedule before you pay. Fees change, and DMV’s published schedule is what you will actually be charged. Our breakdown of Virginia DMV fees sets the replacement fee alongside the others.

While you wait

Carry the printed receipt if you replaced online — that is DMV’s own instruction, quoted above.

Wait at least 15 days before contacting DMV, which is the threshold DMV sets: “Please allow at least 15 DAYS to receive your license before contacting DMV.”

Whether a receipt satisfies a police officer, an employer, a bank or an airline is not something DMV states, and we are not going to tell you it does. If you need identification for a specific purpose in the meantime — flying, in particular — check what that organization accepts.

Permits, ID cards and CDLs

A learner’s permit is replaceable, at $2 — but not through the license transaction.

A Virginia ID card has its own replacement route and its own fee: DMV states “A replacement ID card costs $10.” It is mailed, like a license.

A commercial driver’s license is explicitly outside the online replacement route, and DMV maintains a separate CDL replacement page. Use it rather than assuming the standard process applies.

A Driver Privilege Card has its own DMV replacement page as well. Check DMV directly for that one.

If someone is using your license

Replacing the card does not close this out.

DMV runs a fraud line for exactly this: 1-877-ZERO-FRAUD (1-877-937-6372) and zerofraud@dmv.virginia.gov, and states that reports can be made anonymously — your name is optional. Driver’s license and ID fraud are among the types it lists.

Virginia also has an Identity Theft Passport. DMV states that victims can “visit any DMV customer service center to apply” for documentation proving they were victimized. If someone has been stopped, cited or charged in your name, that is the thing to ask about.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a replacement driver’s license in Virginia?

DMV publishes $20 for a replacement driver’s license and $2 for a replacement learner’s permit. A replacement ID card costs $10. Check DMV’s current fee page before you pay.

Can I replace my Virginia license online?

Usually, yes. DMV publishes a list of conditions that close the online route — including a CDL, an expired license, a suspension, money owed to DMV, being under 18, holding a permit or ID card, and needing proof of legal presence. Check DMV’s list against your own situation.

How long does a replacement take to arrive?

DMV asks you to allow at least 15 days before contacting it about a license that has not arrived.

Can I drive while I wait?

DMV’s instruction for the online route is to print your receipt and carry it until the new license arrives. DMV does not describe that receipt as a license, so treat any specific use — a traffic stop, a flight, proving your age — as a question for the organization asking.

My license was stolen. What do I do first?

DMV’s identity-theft guidance is to file a police report with your local law enforcement agency first, then contact DMV to report it. Replacing the card is a separate step.

Is my Social Security number on my license?

DMV states it no longer issues driver’s licenses and ID cards displaying Social Security numbers.

I found my old license after ordering a replacement. Which one do I use?

DMV’s replacement pages do not answer this, so ask DMV rather than assuming both are valid. The safe expectation is that the newest card is the one to carry.

Can I get it sent somewhere other than my home?

DMV states the online transaction offers the option to ship your replacement license to an address other than your DMV address.

My license expired and I’ve also lost it. Which do I do?

An expired license is on DMV’s list of conditions that close the online replacement route, so this becomes a renewal question rather than a replacement one. Confirm your own dates and the right route with DMV before you start either transaction.

Can someone else pick it up for me?

There is nothing to pick up. DMV states the card is mailed either way.

Official sources

All information above was verified against these official sources on 17 August 2026. DMV’s fees, lists and processes change — confirm current details with Virginia DMV before you act.

1. Virginia DMV — Replace Your Driver’s License or Learner’s Permit
2. Virginia DMV — Ineligibility to Get a Replacement License Online
3. Virginia DMV — Transaction: Replace Driver’s License or CDL
4. Virginia DMV — How DMV Protects Your Identity
5. Virginia DMV — Reporting Fraud
6. Virginia DMV — Replace Your Identification Card

This guide is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.